City Centre

Centrum Den Haag possesses a coffee culture with more layers than the current image of specialty coffee suggests. The district encompasses nine neighborhoods, including Binnenstad, Oude Centrum, Schilderswijk, Stationsbuurt, and Zeeheldenkwartier. As a result, the coffee market here is vast, diverse, and deeply connected to daily life.

The foundation lies not only in hip coffee bars, but also in the traditional Hague coffee house. These emerged in the late nineteenth century as alcohol-free alternatives to pubs. Workers could drink coffee or tea, eat, and socialize. In this way, coffee became a form of social infrastructure.

A key anchor point is Reuser & Smulders. This company started in 1896 at Wagenstraat 48/48a with a coffee roastery, tea packing plant, and tobacco factory. In 1917, it moved to Brouwersgracht 4, giving the Oude Centrum a tangible place in The Hague’s coffee trade.

That history received a modern twist in 2023. JoeJoe/Roast Factory opened at Brouwersgracht 4, bringing coffee back to the former location of Reuser & Smulders. It is a clear example of how new entrepreneurs are recharging old coffee spots with new meaning.

At the same time, the traditional coffee house is under pressure. The number of traditional Hague coffee houses has halved in twenty years. Modern cafés and specialty bars are partly taking over that role, but with a different language, different milk, and different menus.

The modern coffee scene in Centrum is compact, but not uniform. Hofkwartier and Zeeheldenkwartier attract many brunch guests, laptop workers, and filter coffee enthusiasts. The Oude Centrum adds a stronger historical narrative to the mix. Around the station and Binnenstad, speed plays a much larger role.

Kaafi on the Prinsestraat is a well-known spot in the Hofkwartier. The shop combines specialty coffee with brunch, working with espresso, filter, and seasonal roasts. Methods such as V60, Aeropress, Chemex, and French press cater to an audience that loves to choose and compare.

DuckRabbit Coffee Brewers on the Molenstraat opened in 2023 and focuses on hand-poured filter coffee. The shop works with rotating European micro-roasters and also offers cold brew, decaf, plant-based milk, wifi, and vegan options.

In Zeeheldenkwartier, Single Estate Coffee Roasters / The Bar on the Piet Heinstraat is a prominent name. The bar serves daily filter and espresso, rotates multiple origins on the grinder, and pairs its coffee with breakfast, lunch, and croissants.

Coffee in Centrum oscillates between a fast-paced urban function and a slow social ritual. The district is home to ministries, stations, shops, tourist routes, and residential neighborhoods. As a result, cafés serve commuters, residents, families, shoppers, and professionals seeking a table with wifi.

The laptop culture is clearly visible. Kaafi has a distinct atmosphere for relaxing and working, featuring a communal work table in the back. JoeJoe also provides a large table for quiet work. DuckRabbit is noted as being laptop-friendly and offers free wifi.

Education is primarily found at Single Estate. The bar organizes 2.5-hour barista workshops for small groups of up to four people. Participants learn about theory, espresso, milk steaming, and latte art, available in Dutch or English.

Hop & Stork in De Passage also plays a role, although it isn’s not a pure third-wave bar. The establishment roasts its own beans, makes chocolate on-site, and offers workshops centered around coffee and chocolate. This allows a broad, general shopping public to gain access to coffee knowledge.

Centrum is not a monolithic coffee market. The district has more than 100,000 residents and receives millions of visitors per year. The neighborhoods vary greatly, from the administrative Binnenstad to the multicultural Schilderswijk and the café-rich Zeeheldenkwartier.

That mix explains the broad demand. Around Rijnstraat and Centraal Station, it’s more about coffee on the go. In Prinsestraat, Molenstraat, and Torenstraat, brunch, laptop work, and city sightseeing fit better. Zeeheldenkwartier leans more toward the neighborhood, retail, and weekend culture.

Plant-based milk has become standard within the specialty segment. Kaafi and Perron X offer oat milk. DuckRabbit provides plant-based milk, vegan options, and even pea milk. This makes sustainability and dietary choices a part of the daily offering.

Filter coffee and lighter roasts are also gaining ground. Kaafi works with seasonal roasts, DuckRabbit with hand brew, JoeJoe with two batch brews, and Single Estate with multiple origins on the grinder. Guests are being given more and more choice in flavor profiles.

The green side of coffee in Den Haag Centrum comes mainly from the entrepreneurs themselves. There is no confirmed district-wide program for reusable cups, coffee ground composting, or a collective sustainability pledge. Therefore, the practice lies with the roasters and cafés.

Single Estate has the clearest published approach. The company reports that 82 percent of its coffee is purchased via Direct Trade. It also mentions payments higher than the world market price, recyclable aluminum-free packaging, compostable capsules, and organic waste material for Haagse Zwam.

JoeJoe/Roast Factory emphasizes direct sourcing and long-term relationships with producers in Colombia, Guatemala, and Uganda. DuckRabbit enables low-threshold choices, such as own cups, plant-based milk, and vegan options. Hop & Stork links its coffee to Single Estate and Direct Trade.

Centrum Den Haag shows how old and new can strengthen each other in coffee. The traditional coffee shop doesn’t disappear from memory, but takes on new forms. The “broodje bal” and “bakkie pleur” make room for filter, oat milk, and laptop tables.

For café owners, baristas, and roasters, the opportunity lies in that combination. History provides depth, a diverse audience provides volume, and specialty coffee provides distinction. Successful businesses, therefore, seem not only to pour great coffee but also to choose a clear place within the city.